This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in wax deposition devices and, more particularly, to devices of the type stated which are capable of applying a hot wax substance to a substrate in a fairly precisely controlled manner.
In recent years, the art of tjanting and batiking has received increased prominence. In general, these arts relate to the technique for depositing a hot wax substance, such as a paraffin wax, for example, to a substrate, such as cloth, in a desired pattern, and thereafter processing the cloth to render the pattern permanent in the fabric. While the art of tjanting and batiking is actually several centuries old, the particular usefulness of applying hot wax to a substrate has received increased attention, not only as a craft and a hobby, but also due to several commercial applications.
Thus, it has been found that wax deposition onto a substrate can be highly effective, not only in the art of tjanting and batiking, but in the art of ceramics where it is desired to apply wax resist to a piece of pottery and immerce the pottery in an environment where glaze is applied. The wax resist will prevent the glaze from adhering in the area of the resist and when the glaze is fired, it solidifies and thereby generating the design created by the wax deposition. Moreover, wax deposition has been found to be highly effective in lost wax casting so that it can be highly effective for use by jewelers and dental technicians and others concerned with casting of metal articles.
There are several commercially available devices for applying hot wax to a substrate and these devices are typically referred to in the art as "wax pens." The most rudimentary form of these wax pens includes a housing having a reservoir to contain the hot wax with a spout on the housing and which communicates with the reservoir. A handle is connected to the housing for manipulation of the device. Thus, when the user wishes to apply the hot wax to a substrate, the housing is merely tipped so that the wax can pass through the spout to the substrate. One of the primary problems with this type of device is that the wax flow does not necessarily cease upon tipping the housing to an upright position and, hence, some overflow results. In addition, the wax in the housing, which must be maintained at a temperature of at least about 250.degree. F or hotter, will tend to cool rather quickly, thereby necessitating or requiring the user of the device to place the housing over a heat source to reheat the wax.
In order to obviate the problem of maintaining the wax in a hot condition, there have been several devices which provide for heater elements disposed in relationship to the housing in order to maintain the wax at at least a minimum temperature. Moreover, in order to control the flow problems, there have been several devices which utilize some form of a valve, which is typically operated by a manually operable switch mechanism. The major problem with these valves is that the valves are relatively inexpensive in order to keep the retail cost of the wax pen to a minimum. Hence, these valves have a history of malfunctioning. One of the most serious problems with these valves is that the valve itself must be heated in order to prevent the wax from solidifying in the valve. Nevertheless, this very application of heat tends to create malfunctions in the valve. In fact, when the user of the device turns the heater off for any period of time, the wax in the reservoir and valve will solidify. Upon reheating, the formed particles which may be entrained in the wax tend to accumulate in the valve thereby clogging the valve and impairing the usefulness of the device, if not totally rendering the device useless.
Notwithstanding any of the above, the use of the valve in connection with the reservoir containing the hot wax has not resolved the problem of over deposition. Typically, the user of the device must apply the wax in a controlled pattern, and one or two additional drops of wax which are undesired can virtually destroy the pattern. Consequently, the various valve controlled devices have not eliminated the major problem existing with wax pens. Moreover, the very provision of a valve-type control device has substantially increased the cost of such wax pens, thereby diminishing the available market and militating against their use.
The present invention obviates these and other problems in the provision of a relatively simple and inexpensive wax application device which includes a housing having a reservoir for containing the hot wax. A spout extends from the housing and extends into the reservoir. A capillary tube is connected to the inner end of the spount and extends downwardly and terminates near the bottom wall of the reservoir. Moreover, the capillary tube is designed with a relatively small diameter bore so that the wax will rise in the capillary tube, much in the same manner that mercury rises in a tube by capillary action. When the housing is tipped, wax will immediately extend into and through the spout so that it may be deposited upon the substrate. Moreover, when the housing is uprighted to its level position, that is the position where the spout is removed from the substrate, wax flow will automatically cease since the siphon action which is created by tipping of the spout will also terminate.
The presnt invention also overcomes these various problems mentioned in the prior art with the provision of a retaining tube which is designed to receive a conventional heating element. Moreover, the capillary tube is located in position with respect to the receiving tube in order to heat and maintain the wax in the capillary tube at a certain temperature by means of heat conductivity. In addition, the present invention is uniquely designed to provide a spatula and removable spouts, as well as a mechanism for removing the wax from the substrate after it has been applied thereto.